wow, this reporter has his head on straight!

This is a discussion on wow, this reporter has his head on straight! within the In the News: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly forums, part of the The Back Porch category; great write up, no negative twist, accurate... there is hope for the media!
Greencastle, Pennsylvania
From Chambersburg’s PublicOpinionOnline.com of May 5, 2007
Our view: Purchase ...

wow, this reporter has his head on straight!

great write up, no negative twist, accurate... there is hope for the media!

Greencastle, Pennsylvania

From Chambersburg’s PublicOpinionOnline.com of May 5, 2007
Our view: Purchase of gun ends thefts at area store

Merlony Colaco got robbed one too many times, and instead of shrugging and moving on, he did something about it.

The Greencastle merchant was mad and not going to take it anymore, so he bought a shotgun and caught a woman he didn't know inside his convenience store.

He also put the kibosh on what police call a recent string of local smash-and-grab robberies.

After his store, the Molly Pitcher Mini Mart, was broken into for the second time, Colaco picked up a shotgun and set up an after-hours stakeout.

In late March, his waiting reaped results when a brick sailed through his store window. Police said Erica Marie Lynch allegedly broke into the store to steal cigarettes for crack money.

Colaco was ready and police said he held her at bay until they arrived.
Thankfully, cool heads prevailed and no one was hurt.

Colaco refused to play the victim. He used his Second Amendment rights to buy a firearm and defend his property, and he did it with common sense.

Things could have turned ugly very easily in the moments before police arrived. Take a twitch, throw in a sarcastic remark, and add in the fact that perhaps Colaco had a bad day, and the result could have been needless bloodshed.

And the Greencastle store owner could have been left with a very serious legal problem.

"Things could have turned ugly very easily in the moments before police arrived. Take a twitch, throw in a sarcastic remark, and add in the fact that perhaps Colaco had a bad day, and the result could have been needless bloodshed."

Yep, more spin. The media just has to get in those zingers directed at those who oppose robbers, rapists, and worse.

The prospect of "staking-out" property is a scary one, to me.
Even though it's clearly one's right to guard one's property, it still seems like it would be too easy to get depicted (by the press and/or a prosecutor) as bloodthirsty, intent on catching and dispatching. If you had to fire, it could get legally ugly for you couldn't it?

"Things could have turned ugly very easily in the moments before police arrived. Take a twitch, throw in a sarcastic remark, and add in the fact that perhaps Colaco had a bad day, and the result could have been needless bloodshed."

Yep, more spin. The media just has to get in those zingers directed at those who oppose robbers, rapists, and worse.

nah, theres nothing wrong with letting the public know gun owners and people that want means of self defence dont really want to shoot anyone, we dont want "needless bloodshed" is being fair and balanced, i dont take it as a "zinger" or "spin", myself. YMMV

Not in OK. Read the OK Make My Day Act and the Stand Your Ground Act. The family of the late perp may not even sue in civil court.

I understand that, but there are still laws against "lying in wait" and stuff.

I'm just saying that "stand-your-ground" laws or not (we have it here in FL too, thankfully) it sounds dicey, EVEN THOUGH I FULLY SUPPORT THE NOTION OF SURVEILLING AND DEFENDING YOUR PROPERTY. I want to make that clear. I just worry for what an overzealous, anti-self-defense prosecutor would make of it if you said that you had had enough of being burglarized so you armed yourself and waited to see if someone would break in. They'd paint you as trying to act as the police, probably.

I understand that, but there are still laws against "lying in wait" and stuff.

I'm just saying that "stand-your-ground" laws or not (we have it here in FL too, thankfully) it sounds dicey, EVEN THOUGH I FULLY SUPPORT THE NOTION OF SURVEILLING AND DEFENDING YOUR PROPERTY. I want to make that clear. I just worry for what an overzealous, anti-self-defense prosecutor would make of it if you said that you had had enough of being burglarized so you armed yourself and waited to see if someone would break in. They'd paint you as trying to act as the police, probably.

Lying in wait would indicate that you stationed yourself in a position to shoot someone for coming in legally or for shooting someone before they came in. If you are inside a place you have a legal right to be and someone breaks when you confront them you are not "lying in wait." You are infact confronting a felon.